Taking A Break

Another sampling from my notebook; this one coming while training from Amsterdam to Brussels on Thursday afternoon:
Dashboard Confessional plays through my headphones as the scenary changes next to me. We're somewhere between the two cities now, due to arrive in about 90 minutes.
The timing could not be better because we'll have enough time to check into the hotel and hopefully make the 6 p.m. kickoff for England against Trinidad & Tobago.
The views are beautiful as we are now traveling through the countryside. Tiny brick houses are scattered all around the fields, which are filled with cows. The moment is timeless and right now I barely feel time. Everything seems so serene, a far cry from the madness of Amsterdam. I'm sure Brussels will provide it's share of fun -- albeit, we're in town just one night -- but it will likely feel much different than our two-plus days in the adult playground that is Holland's capital.
We're getting closer to the Dutch-Belgian border now and it shouldn't be too far from there. I've yet to see a conductor, which is good because I have a ticket good for unlimited travel any five days during this trip within Belgium, Holland and Germany. Only one day has been 'used' so far since they never checked, and therefore stamped, my ticket on the ride from Duisburg to Amsterdam.
Nearing the halfway point of my trip, there are still some moments I can't believe. I've talked about planning a World Cup trip for some time, but always said the first experience should come in Europe. This is exactly the reason why. There are so many places to see that you can take in so much over a relatively short period. Add the soccer to that journey and it's a perfect trip, at least for me.
I wonder how the World Cup has been covered back home and if there has been any overwhelming interest. It's weird that right now I have virtually no knowledge of either the NBA or Stanley Cup Finals. It's something I actually enjoy since I wanted to put all sports focus toward the World Cup.
I did get an e-mail from a fellow sports writer covering the WNBA, which mentioned how the Sun's Nykesha Sales wasn't named to the league's All-Decade Team. I can't believe that, although it also fits. She has to be the league's most overlooked and underappreciated player.
But the rest of those thoughts are for another time. For now, I'm a normal fan just wanting to watch some more soccer.